Dunedin City Council staff and contractors are continuing to work at eight slips around the city, and several popular tracks remain closed, as the recovery from last week’s weather event continues.

DCC Recovery Manager Rob West says work to address the slips affecting public roads and infrastructure is likely to take some time but is progressing well. Other slips have also occurred on private land or involve other lead agencies.

“We will be applying for emergency funding from the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi for those slips that have affected the roading network, as is normal following an event of this type, but we don’t yet have an estimate of the cost of damage to DCC infrastructure.”

Several popular tracks remain closed due to washouts, including the Tomahawk Reserve Beach Access Track and Tunnel Beach track, due to washouts, and the Kaikorai Common, between Shetland and School Streets, due to potential contamination.

“Our staff and contractors are working hard to re-establish access to these tracks. While these closures are in place, please avoid visiting them. Walking on these tracks is a health risk and may cause further damage.

In other signs of progress today, the DCC was able to remove all remaining water restrictions affecting West Harbour and Outram – meaning people can now use water in these areas as normal – and advice to avoid the city’s beaches was also lifted.

“Water quality results at all city beaches are now satisfactory, but damage to am access track means we’re still advising people not to visit Tomahawk beach at this stage.

“We’re also asking people not to enter or gather seafood from Otago Harbour until the end of the week.”

Some road closures also remain in place around Dunedin, but more than three quarters of roads closed at the height of the weather event have now reopened, Mr West says.

Skips positioned in South Dunedin, Tomahawk and Waikouaiti for residents to discard flood-contaminated items are also proving popular, and another will soon be added at Aramoana.

“It’s disappointing that we are receiving some reports from contractors that some skips are being used for general waste. That is not what they’re there for and it’s not fair on those who genuinely need them.

“We again remind everyone these skips are for residents living in these areas to use and are only for items contaminated by floodwaters.

“Sandbags should also either be returned to distribution locations and discarded in skips there or left on grass verges for collection. Don’t put these in the community skips either.”

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